Tracy Baade

What is your official title and how long have you been in your current position?

I have served as the Commissioner on the Lake County Board
(which also includes serving on the Forest Preserve Board) since December 2012.
I also serve as the Chairwoman of the Lake County Board after being appointed
by my colleagues in December 2018.

Can you please tell us a little about you and your background?

I have been married to Tom (who grew up in Lake Bluff) for
21 years!! We have three children (Emily, Katie, and Tommy); the girls are at
LFHS and Tommy is at Lake Bluff Middle School.

I have a BA in Marketing from Kelley School of Business at
Indiana University and an MBA in Marketing and Organizational Development from
DePaul University.

After working for several years at Kraft Foods, I decided to
stay home to raise my kids and I was able to do more volunteer work, like
serving on the Lake Bluff Park District Board (2006-2012) and chairing the
referendum for the new elementary school.

I believe very strongly in how a caring and connected
community improves our quality of life, and how important it is for everyone to
be involved in making Lake Bluff (and Lake County) a great place to live. I
wanted to be involved in my children’s preschool so it made sense to run for
the Park District Board.

As my kids got older, we ventured into our Forest Preserves
and bike paths, and so I decided to run for the Lake County Board.

I love public service. I love being able to help someone
with a problem, be it a stormwater issue, questions about assessments, zoning,
etc. I love understanding why things work the way they do and seeing if we can
find a more efficient, cost effective way to deliver services to residents.

Can you tell us something about your time in office?

It is extremely rewarding and also challenging! Issues that
on the surface may seem simple are often quite complicated. I learn something
new every single day, from my colleagues, residents, or the very talented
people who work in Lake County Government or the Forest Preserves. I also love
that every day is different. I can be walking through a ditch in someone’s yard
to see their issue with flooding; take a tour of a health clinic; get briefed
on a plan for a Forest Preserve; and meet with a non-profit regarding veteran
services, all in one day. I feel extremely fortunate to do a job that I love.
Even when dealing with complex problems on an evening or over the weekend, I
really love it.

Has anything surprised you about your experience?

Two things surprised me the most. One is how much both
entities, the Forest Preserve and LC Government, relies on volunteers. On the
Lake County Board, we appoint over three hundred volunteers to positions across
Lake County, from drainage districts to the Board of Health. Without these
dedicated people, we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we do. At the Forest
Preserves, our volunteers help us remove invasive species; teach children about
nature; and collect seeds for restoration projects.

The other thing that surprised me is how slow some things
must move. We want to consolidate and eliminate some taxing districts, and it
is shocking how long that can take. As a result, we are looking into
legislation to speed up the process.

Which issues are you most focused on at this time?

I am primarily focused on helping people who live with
serious mental illness. We are working toward a Wellness Triage Center to give
people in crisis a safe place to go for help. Often times, when law enforcement
gets involved, they end up in jail or in the emergency room. We can follow
national best practices and give an alternative that provides them with the
care they deserve.

I am also focused on opportunities to reduce the number of
taxing bodies through consolidation and dissolution, and how we can share
services, both internally and with other governmental entities, to reduce
costs.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for Lake County going forward?

We need to work on reducing the number of taxing bodies, and
therefore property taxes, and helping people and communities with stormwater
management issues.

Would you like to share a favorite local hangout or activity?

I have three favorite hangouts: uptown Lake Bluff; the
beach, and wherever my friends and family are!

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

I would love readers to know how rewarding it is to do work
that makes a difference in people’s lives. Please consider running, for office
or helping a candidate who shares your values. I have yet to meet a single
person who hasn’t thoroughly enjoyed giving back to their community. It’s a
great way to meet dedicated people who want to make our town and county a great
place to live and work.

Thank you Sandy for taking the time to share your experience and thoughts!